Ramón Castro
Encyclopedia
Ramón Abraham Castro is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...

.

Early career

On June 2 1994
1994 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:As a result of a players' strike, the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. No postseason is played...

 Castro was selected by the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

 in the first round (17th overall pick) of the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 draft, becoming the first Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

 to ever be drafted in the first round. He was traded to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

 in 1998
1998 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Greg Vaughn all hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break and engage in a historic chase for Roger Maris's single-season record of 61 home runs...

 for relief pitcher Jay Powell
Jay Powell
James Willard "Jay" Powell , is a former American baseball pitcher, who last played for the Atlanta Braves. He graduated from West Lauderdale Knights in 1990Mississippi State University....

.

Florida Marlins

Castro made his major league debut on August 27, 1999
1999 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...

 in a game against the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...

. He spent 1999 and 2000 competing with Mike Redmond
Mike Redmond
Michael Patrick Redmond is a former Major League Baseball catcher.Redmond graduated from Gonzaga Preparatory School in 1989. He attended Gonzaga University. Mike and his wife Michele have two sons.Redmond made his Major League debut with the Florida Marlins on May 31, 1998...

 for playing time and, when Charles Johnson arrived in Florida, Castro spent most of the 2001 season in the minor leagues. In 2002 he was back in the majors but as a third option and, in 2003, he played behind Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...

 as the Marlins won the 2003 World Series
2003 World Series
The 2003 World Series marked the 99th baseball World Series event. The Florida Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in six games, 4–2.-Background:...

. However, Castro did not appear in the series. In 2004 Rodríguez was gone, giving Castro his first opportunity as a starter but a .135 batting average and an early-June season-ending injury finished his time in Florida. Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...

 finished out the Marlins' catching duties for 2004. The Marlins released Castro in October 2004.

Castro is known as a good defensive catcher, but, despite showing occasional home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

 power has never displayed sufficient hitting skills to win a job as a starter, along with struggling with injuries throughout his career. While never hitting for a superior average, however, his hits are often well-timed.

New York Mets

In December 2004, Castro signed with the New York Mets. In 2005 he was backup catcher to Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....

, with 41 RBIs in 209 at-bats, a career-best .244 batting average, and playing solid defense.

When Piazza became a free agent after the season, it looked like Castro might again get a chance to be a starter, but the Mets traded for Paul Lo Duca
Paul Lo Duca
Paul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...

 who previously had replaced Castro in Florida. Injuries further reduced his role in 2006, limiting him to 126 at-bats.

When Lo Duca left after the 2007 season, many fans called for Castro to start, but the job instead went to newcomer Brian Schneider
Brian Schneider
Brian Duncan Schneider is an American Major League Baseball catcher.-Early life:Schneider was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Peter and Karen Schneider...

. It was most likely due to his injury-riddled career, which became evident once more when he strained his hamstring late in spring training that year, missing the beginning of the season.

Chicago White Sox

On May 29, 2009
2009 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions – New York Yankees**American League Champions – New York Yankees**National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies*Postseason – October 7 to November 4...

, Ramon was traded to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Lance Broadway
Lance Broadway
Lance Daniel Broadway is an American Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He is 6'3" and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...

 after Omir Santos
Omir Santos
Omir Santos Rios is a Major League Baseball catcher. Santos has played for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers.-Career:...

 won the backup job with the return of Brian Schneider
Brian Schneider
Brian Duncan Schneider is an American Major League Baseball catcher.-Early life:Schneider was born in Jacksonville, Florida to Peter and Karen Schneider...

 from the DL.

On July 23, 2009, Castro became the 17th backstop in Major League Baseball history to catch a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...

, receiving Mark Buehrle
Mark Buehrle
Mark Alan Buehrle is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He has pitched his entire baseball career for the Chicago White Sox, starting the opening game every season from 2002 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2011....

's second no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...

. It was his first time catching for Buehrle, who stated afterwards that he did not shake off Castro at any time during the game.

On January 12, 2010, Castro re-signed with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...

 on a 1 year $800,000 contract with a club option for 2011.

Personal life

Ramon Castro was raised in Sabana Puerto Rico. Since he was little he loved playing baseball. In high school he was the first Puerto Rican to be drafted by the Houston Astros. Recently he married Brenda Castro. They have three daughters: Mairym, age 14 (born December 21, 1995) Nathalie, age 10 (born July 15, 1999)and Miosotys, age 10 (born January 23, 2000). They are currently living in Miramar, Florida.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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